But come on. With a $198 round-trip airfare, it's now possible to spend a week in Hawaii for $400 to $500. You spend almost $400 for a one-way ticket if you fly United from San Francisco.

"The best way to find an absolutely amazing deal," said Allegiant spokesperson Jessica Wheeler, "is to book early, be willing to travel at times of year that are less desirable to other travelers and travel on weekdays."

The $99 fare will hold for a few weeks. It will rise with high holiday demand. But it'll settle down again in the off-peak. Book 90 to 120 days in advance. Prices rise as departure nears.

A key is dodging Allegiant's fees.

The airline charges $428 for two round-trip tickets paid by credit card; use a debit card and its $398.

Baggage checking fee is $50 per bag when prepaid, $70 at the airport. You could use one checked bag for two persons. Or, if you're really good, you could fit your stuff into two carry-on daypacks and avoid the fee entirely.

Forgo assigned seating, which costs $22 per seat. If you find you're not sitting by your traveling companion, just ask your seatmate if s/he'll switch. Most people will.

Priority boarding is another $5. Nix.

Upon arriving in Honolulu, don't rent a car (if you do, negotiate the price on Priceline). If you're really cheap, and patient, use mass transit.

Called TheBus, Oahu's public transportation system stops throughout the island. Adult fare is $2.50, $1.25 for kids. Four-day passes cost $25.

Bicycles rent for $15 a day.

Or, for the mid-range skinflint, Mopeds rent for $119 a week.

Scoot your Mopeds to the Honolulu Walmart. There, buy a Wenzel Sprout blue and green 2-person dome tent for $29.86 (why not bring your tent from home? Because Allegiant will charge you $50 to check it in, duh).

Tent camping is the outdoor miser's way to go. One night in a Hilton Hawaiian Village tower room is $215. Oahu tent camping costs $84 per person for 7 days.

Check out sites and reserve them at hawaiistateparks.org/camping/oahu.cfm.

There are numerous campsites within the city of Honolulu. Or leave the crowds behind and head out to one of the island's 20 state park campgrounds for a week on the beach.

For instance, Friends of Malaekahana campground, approximately 40 miles from the Honolulu Airport off Highway 83, is a gated, 37-acre wooded beach park.

There, you can swim Malaekahana Bay, a great spot for cheapskate sport such as snorkeling. You may see endangered sea turtles.

Malaekahana is a stone's throw from the Pipeline, a world-class surfer's spot and great place for a picnic.

Caveat: Hawaii's state parks are closed to campers on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Other things to do on Oahu for less than $10:

» Many Oahu hiking trails ascend lush mountains through bamboo groves to waterfalls or to ridges with sublime views. Most cost nothing.

» Climbing iconic Diamond Head volcano involves some huffing and puffing but costs only $1.

» Haili's Hawaiian Foods offers a variety of native Hawaiian dishes for under $10. The restaurant is a 20-minute bus ride from Waikiki on bus 13.

Pearl Harbor, a national monument to Americans killed in the surprise attack of Dec. 7, 1941, is somber, fascinating - and mostly free (though it's so popular, booking advance tickets for $1.50 each is recommended).

At the end of your week, break camp and give your tent away to a couple dudes on the beach.